Recent reviews by Gundam

Grindy, with lots of unfun mechanics.

So, this is a single player grind your face off game. Not to get gud, but to get stats. I just got a prayer bead that makes sprint not consume stamina. This sounds great, these levels are big and stamina is important for jumping and dodging... I need 40 Blood stat to equip. For reference I'm level 35 after 20 hours... you get one point per level and there are 6 stats.

So maybe if I ignore the other stats, like shoot further, cast more magic, have more health, or get more rewards I can get free sprint... who thought THIS much grind was a good idea?

Oh, and there's going to be a total of 6 maps, 5 right now. For how much grinding this game is it seems too thin.

Then there's the 'who thought this was a good idea' mechanics. The bosses are at the end of a level and need you to know their patterns to really succeed, just annoying to be honest because it means 1-2 runs before you will get them. Which... since you drop resources on death means you stop the stupid stats grind to spend an hour or two learning them. None of these ideas are bad on their own, but taken together make a bad time where you spend hours spinning your wheels.

Then there's the king of dumb ideas, the Calamity System. Basically as the level goes on you build points where if it gets to 5 the witch sends a vortex of evil that spawns enemies until you kill it. Now that doesn't sound so bad, to be honest if you know what your are doing it's free XP... but the trigger is you make a mistake you a get a point. Great run... 0/5 nice and clean, no calamity. Missing your dodges, getting hit, stepping in traps... well your bad day just got worse. I mean, who makes a mechanic that PUNISHES you for having a bad day? A bad game developer, that is who.

If you can put up with this and this seems your jam, go for it. Be aware though, you WILL be grinding the same levels over and over to be able to equip much of the gear.

Do you like gatcha games, but hate wasting money on them, well welcome to Two Point Gatcha Edition.

It's a nice evolution of the building formula they have been making, but with a new core mechanic. You need exhibits, so you send your staff off to get a lootbox and open it... with all the stars and music you expect.

Honestly I'm not sure it's supposed to be lampooning it, or abusing the dopamine drip it causes... I think the answer is yes.

Not a big console guy but some of my favorite games are old PC RPGS, and though that lens this game reminds me a lot of Ultima Underworld or Arx Fatalis. It has some nice modern-isms without ruining the mix. You can warp between the gems, but there is only a handful of them. Health and mana are limited, but you can go back to the start of the level to refill and it doesn't reset everything. There is a hearthstone.. but its a limited one use item. Basically it feels old school, but some of the 'classic' pain points are nicely ground down.

The gameplay is a lot of fun, building a mage was a lot of pain until I got the spells and mana to nuke everything, very satisfying balance and felt rewarding. The art is great, as is the level design which uses the rudimentary lighting engine to great effect. Finally the music is amazing, I'm blown away how great some of it is. Overall a great game.

Played this in the Steam Next Fest and really liked it. Picked it up and have not been disappointed.

Lots of content - According to the collection I have seen ~10% of the spells 6 hours in.

Strategic overworld - You can choose to come back to rewards, the shop doesn't disappear, and there's no locked paths. Honestly how rogue likes should be done IMO.

A fun puzzle gameplay loop - sometimes you spend a couple minutes and slowly find the perfect path. No time pressure, just pure puzzle experimentation.

Good sprite graphics and a catchy soundtrack.

All in all a great game, I'm really digging it.

Having a run breaking bug where the bot gets stuck and won't finish moving during the infinite wave part and a 'you lose' achievement is incredibly aggravating.

An Alien Vector Based Puzzle Platformer.

Ectolibrium is a incredibly unique game. You are the outlier, an alien being, in world that is alien to us and it. You explore this world to discover what it is and how you fit into it. Your character moves by launching off surfaces and clinging to another. Using your limited move set you have to make your way through maze like levels using your overcoming obstacles with your skill and wits.

Pros:
Unique alien setting.
Challenging and entertaining gameplay.
The beginning of a mysterious story. (As of writing only episode one is out.)

Cons:
Might be too alien for some.
Takes a few levels to get the hang of.
In development, so only the first act is out.